Antoinette’s Experience at Morning Star

Adam Graves

Ask hockey legend Adam Graves about SCO, and the retired New York Ranger doesn’t talk about what he’s done for the organization. He talks about how lucky he is to be a part of it.

His passion for helping families originated early on. Adam’s parents took in 30 foster children. “I was fortunate to have foster brothers and sisters,” he says. “It strengthened my family. So it was natural to be involved with an organization that does such wonderful work strengthening families.”

In 1991 Adam dove right in, hosting holiday parties, committing his time and money to benefit children and families in SCO’s Family Dynamics program in Bedford-Stuyvesant and Brownsville, Brooklyn.

His involvement deepened in 2006 when Madison Square Garden (MSG) founded the Garden of Dreams Foundation to “make dreams come true for kids facing obstacles.” In the decade since, Garden of Dreams has provided life-enriching experiences to thousands of children in SCO programs: skating with the Rangers, going backstage at Radio City and attending countless games. But Garden of Dreams doesn’t just open their doors to SCO. Players come to SCO too, passing out holiday gifts at SCO’s Morris Koppelman Early Childhood Center; running a basketball clinic at the Ottilie Residential Treatment Facility and hosting a summer barbecue at the Flushing Family Residence for homeless families.

Although retired, Adam remains active in SCO events. “These programs strengthen families and enrich kids’ lives. That’s what SCO does on a day-to-day basis. SCO embodies what we’re doing at the Garden of Dreams,” says Graves. “Everyone in the MSG family – every employee – they’ll say Garden of Dreams is the single most important thing we do.”

Program Spotlight

For over 50 years, SCO's Foster Care practice has been helping children and their families grow, heal and thrive. We find safe, temporary families for children and teens throughout New York City and Long Island.

CFL Family Counseling & Supports

Center for Family Life is the principal provider of preventive counseling in Sunset Park, serving approximately 500 families each year. Through home and office visits, group activities, advocacy and referral to supportive services, our caseworkers help families to develop individualized plans that address their unique situations and deepen their sense of connection to the neighborhood. The success of our preventive counseling program contributes to the low rate of children entering foster care in Sunset Park, less than half the city average. Families served include both voluntary participants and those mandated by the NYC Administration for Children’s Services (ACS).

Who Can Benefit from this Program

Parents experiencing family problems can access free family counseling